Raptor SD 60" Drive Belt Woes...

The Chairman

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I've posted on here before that I go through drive belts like mad. I finally went to an aramid wrapped 1/2"x 50" belt with great success as well as adding an inner spring with a modicum of success until this past month. Then it seems the belt would be tossed every two hours or so... and my lawn takes 8 hours to mow.

I've been thinking about the adjustment method used and was trying to visualize a way to use a bolt so I could just tighten it. In a recent discussion with a friend, I had an epiphany... how about a small turnbuckle? Whoa! It was incredibly easy to update the system, but boy it was hard to get the belt so it only had a 3/4" deflection. I added a jam nut so it wouldn't back off while in use. I took it for a drive and the right transaxle was still squirrelly. I jacked it up and whoa! Two brackets were cracked on the right side. I called Byrds in Lafayette County (good folk) and they had an entire kit for only $52. Yeah, I could have just welded them, but there were a few issues with doing that. Most of the brackets looked right, except for the ones right on top of the axle. They had three holes: not two. I was thinking it would be a pain to return this, so I pulled off the old bracket to match it up when I went back. Glad I did, because it was then I realized that it was an upgrade. The old bracket was only 3/32" thick while the new ones were a whopping 1/4"!!! I bolted them up, drilled a hole on either side and they look great. The kit also includes all of the grade 3 bolts you need, which was really nice. I had already changed a number of the old bolts that connected the transaxle to the brackets with grade 6, so I reused those. Yes, I kept the turnbuckle solution since it makes installing and adjust belt tension incredibly easy. I tightened it while trying to move the pulley. Once I got it where the pulley wouldn't slip, I tightened it a smidge more. There was just over a 1/2" deflection on the belt.

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The Chairman

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Two things... in addition to adding a jam nut, I had to stretch open one end of the turnbuckle so it would hook into the idler adjusting arm. The adjustment the first time took so long because of the broken brackets. It was quick and easy with the new brackets installed. Also, the response of the steering is back to "new". All the other brackets seemed to be the same, albeit unbroken.
 

The Chairman

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Aug 9, 2018
Threads
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171
I've mowed the lawn all the way, three times now without throwing a belt. Wow. That feels good. It's so reliable that I actually sunburned my legs from only having to pause to keep gassing her up every two hours. Since replacing my deck, I've also cut my grass cutting time by about 25%. What took 8+ hours to mow, now takes just under 6. I'm liking this gas and go!
 
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